Best beach apps for iPhone and iPad
A day at the beach. Delicious! But you know you’ll be stuck in traffic for an hour before you get there, so you better be well prepared. Where should you go for the best water temperature? Which beach has the best wind power for surfing? And how well should you apply which factor? These are all questions we answer in this overview of the best beach apps for iPhone and iPad.
- Shower alert
- wind finder
- UV Lens
- My Tide Times
- Swimming water
- Storytel and Holiday Library
- Thinking sport
Shower alarm: must-have for a day out
Although you can usually estimate whether the weather is nice or not, it can still be worthwhile to check how long the weather will last before you start packing all your things. Buienalarm shows how it is in terms of rain per hour, so you immediately know whether a day at the beach is such a smart idea. Of course there are also all kinds of other weather apps on your iPhone and iPad that provide useful information and you will find them in our separate list.
Windfinder: the wind blows harder here
If you want to go to the beach for surfing, sailing or maybe blokarting, the iPhone app Windfinder is very useful. Of all the beach apps, this is the best for wind lovers. With the app you can look up the correct weather conditions of beaches all over the world.
Whether you want to go to Schiermonnikoog, Scheveningen or La Tranche Sur Mer: Windfinder offers a comprehensive overview of the wind direction, speed (in knots), temperature and precipitation for every beach environment. The app does not only do this for the whole week, but also every three hours on the current day. You can search around you by distance or by wind force, save favorite locations for quick reference or search directly for a place name.
The paid version has no advertising and also shows graphs and maps with predictions. The app can be a bit confusing, but it does show very nicely on the map how the wind is blowing.
UVLens: That’s how good you have to rub in
Exposure to ultraviolet rays (UV) can damage your skin and increase your risk of skin cancer. The UVLens app shows if it’s safe to sit outside and warns when it’s time to go back inside. The UV index predictor shows you when to enjoy the sun best, based on your skin type. You also get reminders to use sunscreen. The widget gives you a quick overview of the situation. The app has not received any updates in a while, but does its job well.
No need for an extra app for the sun power? Read our tip on how to view the UV index on your iPhone and Apple Watch.
My Tide Times: check whether it is low tide or high tide
For an active day at the beach, you also want to know when it is exactly low and high tide, so that you can go on the water at the right time to go surfing, for example. My Tide Times offers this feature, although unfortunately not all beaches are listed. You can also see what the position of the moon is and when the sun rises and sets. Unfortunately, the app is only in English, but that’s not too much of a problem if you’re primarily interested in water. There is a free version with basic functions, but there is also a paid version without ads, a useful widget and an Apple Watch version.
Swimming water: is the water safe?
If you want to go swimming in the sea, make sure you dive into the water in a safe area. Lately you often hear that people end up in a so-called mui, with consequences that are incalculable. With the Swimming Water app you can at least see where it is clean and safe. It’s not the prettiest app on this list. For example, it is not adapted for the screens of the Face ID iPhones, but it does what it should do.
Storytel: always something to listen to
There are also several beach apps for entertainment. When you go to the beach, you no longer have to carry piles of books or magazines. Just your iPhone or iPad is more than enough, because there are all kinds of apps for audiobooks and magazines. You can read more about listening to audiobooks and reading magazines on the iPhone and iPad in our separate tips and guides, but we’d like to highlight one here: Storytel. While not necessarily a beach app, they do come in very handy. Storytel contains a large number of books that are read aloud. You can even listen offline, which comes in handy if your range is a bit limited along the coast.
https://www.iculture.nl/tips/audiobooks-iphone-ipad-belisten/
Thinking sport: for those who like to make a puzzle
Rather not read a book but let your brain crack? There are all kinds of puzzle books and puzzle apps with crossword puzzles, cryptograms, sudokus and much more. Mind sport is a well-known one and is ideal for a day at the beach, especially because this app is largely white and therefore easy to use in the sun. So you don’t have to worry about not being able to read the screen properly. You can find more puzzle books and puzzle apps for iPhone and iPad in our separate list.
In addition to this somewhat outdated iPad app, there are many more separate apps from Denksport, each with their own type of puzzle. There’s an app for crossword puzzles, word searches, Sudoku, and more. These are often also available for the iPhone. You can find them quickly by searching the App Store for Denksport.
Looking for more digital entertainment? You can watch Netflix offline, so you can continue to watch undisturbed even with a slower connection. Especially along the coast and in very busy places, your internet connection can become very slow or unstable, but you will not be bothered by the steps in our tip. The offline games for iPhone and iPad also come in handy on a beach day.
If you really go to the beach for a whole day, don’t forget to bring a power bank. After all, on the beach you don’t have a socket where you can plug in your charger. Your battery will also last less in very hot weather, so be well prepared with a strong power bank for your iPhone and iPad. This way you can really continue to use all those beach apps.
If you have a suggestion for beach apps that we should discuss in this guide, please let us know via the link at the bottom of this article.
We’ve also collected useful tips for you if you want to use your iPad in bright sunlight. With these tips you can prevent a reflective screen, so that you can use your iPad on the beach.
This article is part of the iCulture Holiday Special. Do you have tips or comments? Send a comment via the link below this article.
Photo: Ammentorp Photography via Shutterstock
